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6/30/14

I recently purchased an all white three sided spinning display rack for only $12.00. I bought it to hold the earrings I make. Of course, I just couldn't leave it all white, so I added some burlap and trim to make it more to my liking.
With the new earring rack, I thought it was high time to rethink the use of playing cards that I was using to hold each pair of earrings.... cute, but ya know. I wanted something a little more vintage looking... and what is more vintage looking than old cardboard photo frames?
I used my paper cutter to cut off the side pieces and the flaps of each cardboard photo frame.

The actual photo mats themselves are fabulous, aren't they? These I will use just as they are... I simply added hand written text from the 1800's to each one to give them a fabulous time worn look. I'll set these aside for now *wink*

The cardboard pieces that I cut from the sides of each photo holder is what I'll be using to display my earrings on. I cut the pieces of vintage cardboard to the size of 2x3.. so they would fit in my new revolving display rack. I used an eyelet punch to make holes for the earring wires to slip through. I just love the old vintage look the display piece has now.

Here is my new display rack with some earrings added to it...

It looks so much better in person... you don't see the swipe marks on the plastic!

This display rack has 45 slots to hold earrings. I think I'll add another 45 to the display and call it done!

6/24/14

I got some fabulous treasures this past weekend. One of the picker/resellers I usually buy from sometimes sells things super cheap. I am always happy to be around when he is doing that! I got three empty antique photo albums for $1.00 each. I know right?
I've got big plans for these. *stay tuned!*

So beautiful even in this tattered state.

These are from the late 1800's.

The largest of the three has beautiful graphics that surround some of the mats. They are not on every single page, but every other. One thing is for sure, I'm glad I've got them! The graphics are stunning~

Here is a close up of the clasp. Pretty cool.

Tucked inside the largest album was one lone photo...
along with several stacked petals from a rose *sigh* It does make you wonder doesn't it? I'll keep the two together since they have been together all these years.
Here is the other vintage hardware on the two smaller photo albums. One is completely missing the latch. The other is complete and has some verdigris on it... beautiful~

I also got 65 pieces of silverware for $5.00. Making and selling just one spoon ring would get me a return on that investment.This beaut was only $10.00. She is in need of a make-over.

I also managed to snag this revolving display rack. I was wanting something just like this! *score*

I also got a box full of craft supplies from my friend Verlon. There is a lot of treasures in this box!
Not to be outdone, my friend Sandra gave me a beautiful old window frame. I keep going back and forth on making it into a blackboard or a cork board. What a beauty huh?

6/16/14

While sorting through some of my vintage jewelry today, I decided to make a necklace for one of my friends. As I pulled from different containers, I noticed that a color theme had magically appeared. I love when that happens.
I added a small religious medal that came from France.... It is so beautiful with its well-worn aged patina.

My friend Jennie is the one who called me "Artsy Fartsy" so long ago-- which is now the name of my blog~

When I finished the necklace I attached it to an antique photo frame that I pulled the old photo from. It does pay to hoard some things. *wink* In the area where the old photo was I simply added some old paper from the late 1880's. I bought a bundle of legal papers that had a wax seal and everything. I probably have the grant deed to something very-very important, but for now, I'm cutting it up and using it! I gave this necklace to my friend Jennie this evening. She loved it. She told me that she is going to hang it on the wall as it is.... still attached to the photo frame. I told her it was a NECKLACE, but she loves it just like it is... She cracks me up~
big hugs,

6/14/14

My best friend passed away a few months ago. I gave myself some time to get it together and write something on my blog in remembrance of her... It still makes my heart ache all this time later, when I think of her passing. I talked to her on a Tuesday and the very next evening she was gone.... Gone. I cannot even fathom that. My best friend. The one I shared so many special times with...
When I read on the Simon Says Challenge blog that this weeks art challenge was "Paint" I decided to paint something to get out the frustration I was feeling over my friends death.... This is far from what I had originally imagined, but you know how that goes~
My best friends name was Nellrene and I loved her so much, she was the glitter in my life. Even though she was 30 years my senior, I never thought of her as old. Ever. Nellrene's personality and bubbly energy was almost Peter Pan like if that makes any sense. Oh the fun times we had together when we hung out. Oh man.... the laughter, the giggling... she was a total blast to spend any amount of time with. We would always go shopping, that was a given *wink* then of course we would be starving--- so of course, we just had to do lunch and sometimes even dinner! I would often times let Nellrene take the lead into the restaurants... as I chatted with the hostess as we walked to our table, I would whisper to her that it was Nellrene's birthday... It never was. After our meal, the waitress staff would come to our table and sing "Happy Birthday" with a bowl of ice cream for the birthday girl. She would just say, "Oh Cheryl" and I'd be a giggling mess across from her, sometimes to the point that I'd fall over in the booth laughing/crying hysterically. One day it occurred to me-- that I was getting the short end of that deal... so from that day forward, it was "our" birthdays! So, the waitress staff always brought two bowls of ice cream and sang us both "Happy Birthday!" Oh the times we had together!

Nellrene was an avid crocheter. She would tackle hard afghan patterns without hesitation. Just seeing her afghans in progress with balls of yarn dangling from it waiting to be picked up and stitched into the pattern made me cringe. I am self taught at crocheting and changing yarn color was something I never liked doing. Nellrene showed me how to change yarn color while following a pattern... We both were crocheting a small square with several color changes, upon completion of both our squares she stacked them upon each other and began to laugh. Her square was about 9 inches square, and mine was about 5 inches square. Nellrene's was loose, and mine could have been used to stop a bullet it was so tightly crocheted. Again, in my defense, I am self taught at crocheting! *wink* From that day forward I have "loosened" up my crocheting considerably~

I think we had been friends for a little over 17 years. She shared some pretty important times in my life. She was so loved by me personally and my family.... *sigh* She was always there for me, I never had to ask, she would just be there supporting me, always. When my daughter had major surgery Nellrene sat with me and waited with me, what a blessing she had been to me that day. My daughter was then in intensive care for a week and Nellrene would come in the
hospital every.single.day. to visit. Having her love and support was invaluable during
that stressful time, she was incredible.

During my daughter's senior year of high school, whenever Nellrene and I were out shopping I was always looking for aquamarine earrings for my daughter for her graduation. I wanted to get her small emerald cut aquamarine earrings. I found plenty of round cut earrings, square cut earrings, but not the emerald cut ones I was looking for. I pretty much gave up on the idea of finding any seeing how there seemed to be none readily available. Well, Nellrene found her a pair and gifted them to her for her graduation. She wore them with her cap and gown as she received her diploma.. *sigh* It was a beautiful gesture that touches my heart every time I remember it. I cannot remember any other gifts she received or even what I gave her for graduation... but I remember that gift. Nellrene was not only generous with the love she gave to me and my family but with the thoughtful, loving gifts she gave. She gave to me the greatest gift of all which was her love :-)

Another milestone in my daughter's life was the day she got married. Without hesitation, Nellrene was there to help us celebrate the day. I cannot image that special day without her there... she made the day even more special for me and my daughter for attending.
Nellrene was an amazing women. She was my best friend. I would often times describe her to people as my personal cheerleader. She was always encouraging of everything I did... always. Sometimes I felt like she was going to pull out a package of gold stars and stick them on things when I would show off to her. I loved getting her approval on things. Again, all those gold star moments are with me to this very moment.
Every time we parted we would hug each other tightly and tell each other we loved one another. How lucky am I to have loved someone so deeply and to have been loved so deeply!
I love you Nellrene. When I get to Heaven, tell them its our birthday will ya?
big hugs,

6/9/14

We hosted four pirate parties last weekend... FOUR.
Luckily, every single party was super fun!
Each party was special in its own way...
The first two parties on Saturday were back to back. The first party was for my grand daughter Chloe....
The second party was for my grandson Jonathan. With the two back to back parties on Saturday it ended up being SIX hours of pirate fun!
On Sunday I had to reconfigure the party area with tables and chairs for a sit down dinner that we held on Monday night.
The next day, Tuesday morning, I took down the things that don't stay out in the yard all year long... work-work-work....
Then on Tuesday evening I had a few friends from a sewing group I belong to for dinner and desert. On Wednesday morning I finished up putting away the last of the items that get stored during the year. Whew, it is never fun having to put things away!

I created a few slide shows on Photopeach.com, but I couldn't get them embedded on my blog. If your ever over at Photo peach, my user name is "Artsy Fartsy" and there you can view more pirate photos if you'd like too.
Here is a photo of some of my grand daughters friends hanging out by the pony... The pink "My Little Pony" purse was a gift she just received and ended up on her arm the rest of the day!

My little pirate Chloe had a fun time putting tattoos on everyone... it was super cute to watch her do that. *wink*
My other little pirate Jonathan was a constant blur as he ran around with his friends...

Below is some of my grandson's friends at his pirate party watching him as he opened some of his gifts....

My two grand kids have already come up with some new ideas for next years pirate party. But for now, Nana is resting!

I am a mixed media artist. I love to sew, embroider, crochet and create things using vintage objects. I love: old classic cars, vintage fabrics, old buttons, cats, shabby chic furniture & linens.... chewing gum, diet pepsi, sneakers, chocolate and gardening~ I like to rummage through thrift stores, yard sales, estate sales and the occasional curbside trash pile. I don't mind getting dirty for treasures! I like to repurpose found objects throughout my home and garden.